Final Answer: WR.

My top 20 wide receivers, sorted by WEIGHT (30-visits in fuchsia):

The Bills have big guys (Justin Shorter: 6-4, 229, 4.55) and Ty Shavers (6-4, 211, 4.59) on their practice squad, but the Bills’ receiver room is a tad light. It is likely that Brandon Beane takes two receivers, but one of them better have meat on that skeleton, and the ability to run fast would be a real plus (Diggs was 6-0, 195, 4.42 when drafted). The trio of RD1-worthy 30-visit guys Beane had to One Bills Drive that fit this description were Xavier Legette (6-1, 221, 4.39), Brian Thomas Jr. (6-2, 209, 4.33), and AD Mitchell (6-2, 205, 4.34). Remember physics class, when you learned about momentum? Weight at a lot of speed? These three have “Mo” on their side. This is why Beane drools when you mention D.K. Metcalf’s name, and picked Justin Shorter from Florida at RD5#150.

I’ve seen plenty of mocks that have Thomas available at #28 due to the overwhelming need for OTs, with 19 teams needing a Tackle as a top 1 or 2 priority. Eight teams desiring a QB will be trading about for 4-5 QBs in RD1 as well, with 3 of them unlikely to have draft capital sufficient to swing a deal upward. Add in the demand for EDGE to some hot-hot-hot deals for CB in the later half of RD1, and some good players will drop.

To be safe, though, Brandon Beane will be watching to see:

(1) If one of the top 3 WRs fall past Joe Schoen’s Giants at #6, or if there’s still one there when the Bears go on the clock at #9. 

(2) He will note when Brock Bowers goes off the board (likely at #10, #11, or #15 to Chargers, Pats, or Colts), because the next pass-catcher would be Brian Thomas Jr. 

(3) If the Patriots move up for a quarterback (MCCarthy? Maye?), that’s good, because they’ll need to use draft capital that would otherwise be spent on WR at Pick #23, still ahead of the Bills, and it’s one more choice of WR the Bills may have, and less draft capital they’d need to move up a tad.

(4) Beane will track how many OTs have gone off the board between Pick #9 and Pick #14, because as many as FIVE tackles in those six picks could pop off the board, because after about Pick #41, the quality will run out before the high demand has subsided.

(5) Beane will have two teams needing more draft picks on the horn: Saints at #14 and Seahawks at #16. Saints have 5 picks, only 2 of which are in RD 1-3. The Seahawks’ situation isn’t much better, with 6 picks, with 3 in RD 1-3. This juncture is important, because 3 of the next 4 teams have a need for WR, although not their top need (#17-Jags, #18 Bengals,#20 Steelers) . However, runs on OT and CB could change their tune, causing them to snatch Brian Thomas Jr.

(6) Someone will be watching for the run on good CBs to start, likely right around #17 with the Jaguars. Four of the next 6 teams –Jags, Rams, Steelers, and Eagles– could set off a feeding frenzy that would be good for the Bills, because the Jags, Bengals, and Eagles might be also looking at WR early.

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The Bills could use a second receiver in this deep draft. It will be more about availability of complementary pass-catchers that can compete with the current WR room, with in-house speedsters Hamler, Isabella, and Samuel. You don’t have to add a speedster to that group if it doesn’t make sense.

Chemistry always makes sense. You’re drafting a family, a mafia that will push each other. I narrowed my list of WRs to the most “Billsy”, and many of them got 30-visits (see those in fuchsia). Of those, McConkey and Tez Walker had my highest rating on their interviews…and could easily be your RD1 and RD2 picks (Roman Wilson wouldn’t be far behind Walker; he’s so Billsy). Later on, if you nabbed your favorite wideout in RD1 and wish to draft D-Line in RD2, Devaughn Vele or Flournoy make a whole lotta sense.

Something like this! Thanks to FanSpeak Simulator with BuffaloFAMBase Big Board:

Editor’s babble: Dean Kindig is a draft savant. We are so grateful for his contributions to our blog. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro.